Overview
- Videos and on-site reporting showed a light two-seat sport plane strike the Citic Tower on Friday afternoon, leaving a breach in upper floors and debris on the street below.
- Chaoyang district authorities confirmed late Saturday that the pilot, who was the sole occupant, was killed and 13 people were injured and said competent services are investigating the incident.
- Emergency crews evacuated the 528-metre, 108-floor tower, deployed firefighters, police and ambulances, and sealed the site while reporters and witnesses described visible damage around the 65th floor.
- Social posts and images circulated briefly before being removed and state media offered minimal coverage, leaving gaps about the flight’s origin, technical cause and detailed casualty or structural assessments.
- Preliminary flight-tracking data and reporting point to a small Sunward Aurora SA60L that diverted toward the city and to police checks at a local airfield, but those leads remain unconfirmed as investigators continue their probe.